Combined ignition and starter switch



' P. l. RIGGs COHBINED IGNITION AND STARTER SWITCH Aug. 1, 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1948 Phi/lip L Riggs By zmaaz...

d/amy /aam Patented Aug. l, 1950` orrlcE COMBINED IGNITION AND STARTER,v SWITCH Phillip L. Biggs, Norfolk, Va.

Application January 27, 1948, Serial No. 4,584

3 Claims. (Cl. 20o-4) The present invention relates to new andA provide a multiple switch for controlling thel ignition and starter circuits of an automobile or other motor vehicle and including a, slidable and rotatable barrel operable to initially close the ignition circuit by a rotary movement of the barrel and to subsequently close the starter circuit by a sliding movement of the barrel and further to provide a key controlled lock for the switch.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eiiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of the switch housing showing both the ignition and starter circuits in open position,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the ignition circuit in closed position,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing both circuits in closed position,

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the outer barrel of the loci; and with parts broken away and shown in section,

Figure 6 is a similar view of the inner barrel and with parts broken away and shown in section,

Figure 'I is a perspective view of the stationary. contacts for the ignition and starter circuits,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the inner end of the assembled switch, and

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 9-9 of Figure I.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a tubular switch housing having an annular flange 6 at its front end and placed in an opening -'I of the instrument panel 8 of a motor vehicle with the flange 6 abutting the outer surface of the instrument panel. The

2 housing I is externally threaded adjacent its front end to receive a nut Il positioned at the rear of the instrument panel to clamp the housing in a horizontal position therein.

An outer barrel Il is rotatably and slidably mounted in the housing l and is formed with a transverse partition I2 to provide a chamber I3 in its front end and is open at its rear end to slidably receive an inner barrel Il therein.

The outer barrel Il, adjacent its rear end is formed with an L-shaped slot I5 and the inner barrel I4 is formed at one side with a longitudinal extending slot II and at a substantially diametrically opposite side with a circumferential slot l1.

A stud il threaded into the outer barrel Il is received in the longitudinal slot Ii to connect the barrels for uniform rotary movement and to provide for a sliding movement of the outer barrel Il relative to the inner barrel Il. A second stud I9 is threaded through the housing l and is received in the slots I9 and Il.

The rear end oi' inner barrel I4 is partially closed as shown at 2l to provide a central opening 2| through which a stem 22 is siidable, the front end of the stem being suitably secured to the partition l2 and extends longitudinally through the barrels ll and Il. The rear end of stem 22 is formed with an annular contact 23.

A pair of arcuate contacts 24 project rearwardly at diametrically opposite sides of a ring 25 and which is suitably secured to the rear end 20 of barrel Il by an insulation ring 2l.

The rear end of housing 5 is formed `with an internal annular flange 21 to the inside of which is suitably secured a disk 29 having a circuit wire 29 positioned centrally therein and connected to the usual starter motor (not shown) and also having a pair of circuit wires 30 and 3l extending therethrough adjacent dlametrically opposite sides of the disk 29, the circuit wire 3l leading from a battery (not shown) and the circuit wire 3| being connected to a coil (not shown) of the usual ignition system.

The wires 29, 39, and 3i are suitably insulated from the disk 28 by insulation sleeves 28a.

A stationary contact 32 is formed at the inner end of wire 29 and arcuate channel shaped stationary contacts 33 and 34 are suitably connected to the inner ends respectively of wires 3l and 3l.

A coil spring 35 is positioned in the barrels l I and Il with one end bearing against partition I2 and its other end bearing against closed end 20 of inner barrel Il, the barrel I4 being held against sliding movement by stud I9 so that the spring normally projects the front end of barrell II forwardly of the instrument panel 8.

A lock casing 36 is suitably held in chamber I3 and includes a laterally slidable locking bolt 31 yprojected outwardly by a. coil spring 38 in locking engagement with aligned openings 39 and 40 respectively in the housing 5 and barrel II to lock the barrel II against movement in its forwardly projected position and with both the ignition and starter circuits in open position, as shown in Figure 1. The bolt 31 is controlled in a usual manner for unlocking movement by a key 4I when inserted in the lock casing. The key also operates to turn the barrel II after unlocking bolt 31.

In the operation of the device, the contacts 24 are held out of engagement with contacts 33 and 34 and the contact 23 held out of engagement with contact 32 by spring 35 and the switch barrels II and I4 locked in circuit open position by bolt 31.

The insertion of key 4I in lock 36 unlocks bolt 31 to free the barrel I! for rotary and sliding movement. The key is first turned to rotate barrel II and which in turn rotates barrelV I4 by reason of their connection by pin I8 and contacts 24 are moved into engagement with contacts 33 and 34 to close the ignition circuit. During this action pin I9 travels in the circumferential part of slot I to a position at the rear end of the longitudinal part oi' said slot.

Key 4I and the outer end of barrel II are then pressed inwardly which causes pin I9 to travel in the longitudinal part of slot I5, the barrel I4 being held stationary and pin I8 travels in longitudinal slot I6 of barrel I4, so that rod 22 with contact 23 at its rear endengages contact 32 to close the circuit for the starter. Releasing inward pressure on key 4I and barrel II will enable spring 35 to slide barrel II outwardly to open the starter circuit while the ignition circuit remains closed.

To open the ignition circuit it is necessary to turn key 4I and barrel II in a reverse direction to remove contacts 24 from engagement with contacts 33 and 34.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A combined ignition and starter switch comprising inner and outer interconnected and relative slidable barrels having uniform rotary movement, each of said barrels carrying at least one movable contact, 9, casing slidably receiving the barrels, stationary contacts carried at the inner end of the casing respectively engageable by the movable contacts, means connecting the inner barrel to the casing t0 hold the inner barrel against sliding movement, the contact of the inner barrel being moved into circuit closing position with one of the stationary contacts by a rotary movement of said inner barrel, and a lock including a key operated :holt carried by the outer barrel engaging the casing for locking both barrels, said key rotating the barrels by a turning movement of the key to initially move the contact of the inner barrel into circuit closing position, and said outer barrel being slidable' to subsequently move its contact into circuit closing position. f

2. A combined ignition and starter switch comprising inner and outer interconnected and relative slidable barrels having uniform rotary movement, each of said barrels carrying at least one movable contact, a casing slidably receiving the barrels, stationary contacts carried at one end of the casing respectively engageable by the movable contacts, means connecting the inner barrel to the casing to hold the inner barrel against sliding movement, the contact of the inner barrel being moved into circuit closing position with one of the stationary contacts by a rotary movement of said inner barrel, a lock including a key operated bolt carried by the outer barrel for locking engagement with the casing for locking both barrels, said key rotating the barrels by a turning movement of the key to initially move the contact of the inner barrel into circuit closing position, the contact of said outer barrel being moved into its circuit closing position by an inward sliding movement of the outer barrel in the casing, and spring means projecting the outer barrel to move its contact into circuit open position.

3. A combined ignition and starter switch comprising a stationary casing, inner and outer telescoping hollow barrels enclosed in the casing, an internal pin in the casing, a circumferential slot in the inner barrel and a slot in the outer barrel including communicating circumferential and longitudinal portions, both of said slots receiving the pin, said inner barrel being rotatable and non-sliding on the pin and said outer barrel being both rotatable and slidable on the pin, a pin and slot connecting the inner and outer barrels for rotation as a unit, each of said barrels having at least one switch contact at its inner end for movement therewith, stationary contacts in the adjacent end of the casing, in the path of circuit closing movement of said iirst named contacts the inner barrel moving its contact into circuit closing position by a rotation thereof and the outer barrel moving its contact into circuit closing position by a sliding movement thereof and key controlled locking means for the outer barrel locking the same to the casing with the contacts in circuit open position.

' PHILLIP L. RGGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,753,734 Andrew et al. Apr. 8, 1930 2,060,951 Rae et al. Nov. 17, 1936 2,068,582 Von Hoorn Jan. 1`9, 1937 2,378,514 Thorpe June 19, 1945 

